magazinesfromthepastfandomcom-20200214-history
Your Computer Vol.1 No.2
This issue is dated August/September 1981 and cost 50p Regulars Contents / Editorial - 1 page (3) Your Letters - 1 page (7) Computer Club - Richmond - 1 page (11) : This month's Computer Club features the Richmond club — a typical micro group. Bill Bennett was despatched to the outskirts of London to visit it and he reports back. Fingertips - David Pringle - 1½ pages (55-56) Response Frame - Trevor Sharples & Tim Hartnell - 1 page (59) Store Guide - 1 page (69) Competition Results - ½ page (71) News News Headlines - 2 pages (8-9) *'Asteroids Deluxe' - Atari update their 1979 hit Asteroids ''by launching ''Asteroids Deluxe into the arcades. (8) *'Adventure on the ZX-80' - Adventure A: Planet of Death from Artic Computing (8) *'Good Prospects for Gold-Rush' - Gold Rush for the VIC-20 from Mr Micro Ltd. (8) *'Chess Machines Do Battle': Second Official World Championship for Chess Micro-Computers to be held in Hamburg, Germany (8) *'VIC Rumours Quashed': VIC-20 launched at Second International Pet Show (8) *'Atom's BBC Conversion': ROM to convert Atom to BBC Basic delayed. (9) *'Tangerine's Tiger will Include Tantel Unit' (9) *'High-Street Micros': WHSmiths to start selling micro-computers (9) *'Tiny Talker, Tiny Price': Tiny Talker speech-generation unit from BA Electronics for the TI99/4a (9) *'Slow-Mode Simulation': Compshop working on a slow simulator for the ZX-80 (9) Reviews Survey: Chess Games - 2¾ pages (24-25,27) :Can chess machines provide such good games as human adversaries? Before you make any opening moves to buy one, John White runs through manufacturers' gambits in his evaluation of the range of microchess opponents. ::Microchess 2.0 by Micro-Ware for the Apple II and PET, ::Sargon II by Hayden Software for the TRS-80, Video Genie and Apple II ::Sargon I by Hayden Software for the TRS-80 and Nascom ::Gambiet/80 by Microtrend for the TRS-80 ::Chess ''by Kansas City Systems for the TRS-80 and Video Genie ::''Chess ''for the Sharp MZ-80 ::''Video Chess by Texas Instruments for the TI99/4 ::Video Chess by Atari for the Atari 2600 Features Review: Commodore VIC~20 - 3 pages (12-14) : The Vic offers features such as high-resolution graphics and yet costs between half and one-third of the price of machines boasting the same facilities. Nick Hampshire assesses this, the latest addition to the Commodore stable. Tantel Opens the Line to Prestel - 2 pages (17-18) : Until recently, the equipment required to receive Prestel and viewdata has proved prohibitively expensive for most would-be users. Now Tantel has released a £170 low-cost alternative which Peter Blower tests for value and reliability. Interview: Clive Sinclair - 2 pages (20-21) : He is one of the few makers of personal computers in Britain whose name is known to millions. Many admire him for his inventiveness: some distrust the ephemeral quality of many of his products which, however well-designed, are launched on a market which is increasingly resentful of poor reliability. He talks to Duncan Scot. Inside Story on ZX~80/81 Machine Code - 1¾ pages (36-37) : Machine code is one aspect of computer programming the ZX-80/81 manuals do not cover at all. Trevor Sharples sets out to remedy that deficiency. Graphic Proof of Atom Power - 2 pages (43-44) : Simulating explosions by flashing the screen, inputting graphics from the keyboard and "splitting" the Atom are the three techniques revealed by Atom adept Roy Burgin who provides the listings and programming know-how to accomplish them. Project: Beyond Games into Micro Applications - 5 pages (46-47,49,51-52) : About three-quarters of the individually-owned micro-computers in the U.K. are used wholly or predominantly for playing games. That is a shame — games deny users the rich variety of experience a computer can generate. In the first part of a new series, John Dawson looks at applications which will carry your micro beyond recreation into the realm of computer control. Type-Ins Grandmaster or Novice? - 1¼ pages (27-28) : John White presents a chess-rating analysis program in Basic. It has been designed to help you maximise your rating as a player. Oracle of Change - I Ching - 3 pages (30-32) : The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient work on divination in which is distilled much of the wisdom of a culture measurably older than our Judaeo-Christian one. John Aldred offers an easily-translatable Sharp MZ-80K program which augurs well for the future of the more unusual micro applications. After the Manuals... '''- 1¼ pages (37-38) : You may be wondering what on earth to do with your ZX-80 or ZX-81 once you have worked through the manuals. Tim Hartnell obligingly shows you the way into new programming territory with an explanation and example listings of random-number generation — the key to writing games programs. Software File - 6 pages (61-63,65-67) *Point to Point - (ZX-81) - Mike Howard (61) *Complete Music - (ZX-80) - Robin Arlott (61-63) *Teaching Aid - (ZX-80) - J J Bartolo (63,65) *Sketch-Pad - (ZX-81) - Eric Deeson (65) *Pools Prediction - (ZX-80) - T Dawson (65) *Child's Play - (Atom) - D J Berry (65-66) *Tabulation Techniques - (Atom) - John Meikle (66) *Symbolic Values - (Microtan) - Bob Green (66) *Setting Memory Size - (Genie) - P Crowston (66) *Road Runner - (MZ-80k) - Alan Murray (67) *Graphics Entry - (UK101) - A Hughes (67) *Keyboard Scan - (Atom) - Nigel Capper (67) *Request Answered - (Atom) - J W Comley (67) Adverts '''Games *'Sinclair Research' - Sinclair ZX81 Cassette No 1 and Sinclair ZX81 Cassette No ''4 - page 2 *'JRS Software''' - Slalom, Black Holes - page 29 *'Acornsoft' - Games Pack 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 - page 33 *'Timedata' - Brkout / Ack-Ack, Shell Game / Invaders, Breakout/Cupball/3D Maze/Simon 2, Pinball/Letters/Spacewar/Drive, Hammurabi/Othello/Scramble/Hexpawn - page 34 *'Macronics' - 1k Space Invaders, 3k Space Invaders, Nightmare Park, Dragon Maze, Planetoids, Lap Record - page 45 *'Phipps Associates' - The ZX81 Pocket Book - page 45 *'Program Power' - Keys of Kraal, Serpent, Galaxian Attack, Blackjack, Cowboy Shoot-Out, Road Race, Tantaliser, Fruit Machine, Spider, Death Run ''- page 50 *'Video Software''' - Force Field, Space Race, Football-League, Test Match, Stock Market - page 54 *'Molimerx' - Shuttle ''- page 60 *'Microtanic Software''' - Games 1, Games 2, Games 3, Games 4 - page 64 *'Program Power' - Lunar Lander, Invader Force, 3D Asteroids, Alien Maze, Space Storm, Star Trek, Othello, Demon Dungeon, Dambusters, Zombies / Demovaders / Laser Fight, Labyrinth / Slot Racer, Minefield/Snake/Awari, Territory / Aztec - page 70 *'Syntax Software' - ZX-Opoly / ZX-Hotel - page 72 *'Control Technology' - Tape Book 20, Tape Book 30, Tape Book 50 - page 74 Other *BBC/Acorn Computers Ltd - Page 4 *Silicon Chip - Page 5 *IO Systems Ltd; Bug-Byte; Interface - Page 6 *ComServe - Page 10 *MicroStyle - Page 15 *Avalon Computers; Midwich Computer Company Ltd; Zacride Ltd - Page 16 *The VIC Centre - Page 19 *Tandata Marketing Ltd - Page 22 *Silica Shop - Page 23 *Commodore - Page 26 *Agar Computing Services; Cambridge Computer Store; Diskwise Ltd - Page 29 *Personal Computer Palace; Agar Computing Services - Page 33 *Braintree Micro Leisure Ltd; Currah Computor Components Ltd (sic) - Page 34 *Lowe Electronics - Page 35 *Acorn Computers Ltd - Page 39 *Sinclair Research - Page 40-41 *Arfon Microelectronics Ltd - Page 42 *M D R (Interfaces) Ltd - Page 45 *Silicon Centre; HCCS Associates; Castle Electronics - Page 48 *MicroStyle; Newnes Technical Books - Page 50 *INterface Components - Page 53 *Twickenham Computer Centre Ltd; Richard Francis - Page 54 *Tempus - Page 56 *Maplin Electronic Services Ltd - Page 57 *D. Bruce Electronics; Linsac; Essential Software Company - Page 58 *L.P. Enterprises - Page 64 *Sync - Page 68 *Q-Tek Systems; Melbourne House - Page 70 *Wideband Products; Microage Electronics - Page 71 *Brighton Computer Centre; CSSC Ltd - Page 72 *Compshop Ltd - Page 73 *Kellys Computer Market; Computers For All - Page 74 *Compec '81 - Page 75 *Byteshop Computerland - Page 76 Analysis Other Credits Staff Writer :Bill Bennett Production Editor :Toby Wolpe Editorial Secretary :Tracy Ebbetts Contributors :Trevor Sharples, John Dawson, David Pringle, Nick Hampshire, Peter Blower, John White, Roy Burgin Publishing Director :Chris Hipwell Issue Index Category:Your Computer Issues Category:IPC Business Press Magazines Category:Magazines released in 1981 Category:Magazines cover-dated 1981